At this point, Matthew Stafford may be used to this scenario. Struggle some in the beginning, deal with the adversity… then come through in heroic fashion in the end. Who can forget this classic, after all? It was that way Sunday. The Detroit Lions QB threw three picks in the first half against the Rams, appearing out of sync. It looked like a brutal opening loss was in the cards. Except, there he was on the final drive, marching 80 yards in 1:45 to win it on a TD pass to RB Kevin Smith. Ho hum, Stafford was 6-of-8 passing for 80 yards on that drive, with one incompletion as a spike. What did we learn? “Yeah, we’re never out of […]

From 2007 to 2010, the Lions picked their version of the Big 3. After years and years of terrible drafting, Detroit grabbed WR Calvin Johnson second overall in 2007, QB Matthew Stafford first overall in 2009, and DT Ndamukong Suh second overall in 2010. That’s not bad. Three cornerstones. And each were in the era of massive, massive rookie deals. Slowly, that trio will look to get paid. And considering their production, all will deserve it. Megatron was first, and he’s slated to earn about $130 million over the next eight years. Figure Stafford is next, and then Suh. It’s a hefty task for the Lions in a salary cap era, though some would say a good problem. And so, […]

I began my conversation with Lions President Tom Lewand yesterday just hoping to get an understanding for how Detroit has turned around its once-woeful franchise. I left with a franchise-wide view on why this string of success may continue. Lewand and I spoke for a while, with him mixing in anecdotes about the two main things that have happened to spring the Lions. One is how decisions have been made without bowing to public pressure. The other is that those in power — including coach Jim Schwartz — are not satisfied. They won’t be satisfied with just making the Wild Card game. As Lewand told me, “We haven’t done anything yet. We got a Wild Card game. And I understand […]

I thought there would be a ton to talk about at Detroit Lions minicamp, considering the kind of year the team had, the Lions’ stars, and a bunch of off-the-field things. And yeah, my head was swimming by the end. This really is a franchise on the rise, and it’s fun to watch from close up. The optimism is palpable.